KR20220089708A - Implementation of multipath communication - Google Patents

Abstract

A method for performing multipath communication in a target communication device includes obtaining, from a source communication device, a plurality of data packets via two or more different paths, wherein a header of each data packet includes a plurality of data packets. Contains packet information indicating associations between packets. The packet information in each data packet at the source communication device is stored in each data packet at the target communication device, regardless of the different radio access technologies, communication protocols, or radio links used in the two or more different paths. Same as packet information. The plurality of data packets includes different data packets having different payloads, or duplicate data packets having copies of the same payload. The method further includes identifying, based on the packet information, a first set of data packets received via the first path, and a second set of data packets received via the second path.

Description

Implementation of multipath communication

TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates generally to the field of wireless communication technologies; More particularly, it relates to methods and devices for performing multipath communication.

Currently, there are many wireless communication technologies that can be used to communicate between two communication devices. In some scenarios, communication of data packets between two communication devices may be interrupted, may experience data loss, or may experience low-throughput and/or latency. For example, one communication device may move beyond the communication range of another communication device in device-to-device communication, causing interruptions in data communication. In another example, cellular communication may be used to communicate between two communication devices. Typically, cellular networks provide a larger coverage area compared to device-to-device communication. However, the sequence numbers of data packets received via the uplink and downlink in cellular communication may be different, or the data packets may be disarranged, thereby , it may result in the data being erroneous. Accordingly, reception of data packets at the destination device may be unreliable, inefficient, or delayed. In general, next-generation services (eg, vehicle-to-everything services) have over-demanding quality-of-service requirements, which do not apply to existing methods of wireless communication. and systems can be challenging to meet.

Therefore, in view of the above discussion, a need exists to overcome the above-mentioned disadvantages associated with existing systems and methods for wireless communication of data packets.

The present disclosure seeks to provide methods, devices, and computer program products for performing multipath communication. The present disclosure seeks to provide a solution to the existing problem of inefficient and unreliable wireless communication of data between at least two communication devices. It is an object of the present disclosure to provide a solution that at least partially overcomes the problems encountered in the prior art and provides improved methods and devices that can communicate data packets efficiently and reliably.

The object of the present disclosure is achieved by the solutions provided in the enclosed independent claims. Advantageous embodiments of the present disclosure are further defined in the dependent claims.

In a first aspect, the present disclosure provides a method for performing multipath communication in a target communication device. The method includes obtaining, from a source communication device, a plurality of data packets via two or more different paths, wherein a header of each data packet of the plurality of data packets includes packet information. The packet information indicates an association between a plurality of data packets. The packet information in each data packet at the source communication device is the packet within each data packet at the target device, regardless of the different radio access technologies, communication protocols, or radio links used in the two or more different paths. same as information The plurality of data packets includes different data packets having different payloads, or duplicate data packets having copies of the same payload. The method identifies, based on the packet information, a first set of data packets from the plurality of data packets received over the first path, and a second set of data packets from the plurality of data packets received over the second path. further comprising the step of

The method of the first aspect makes it possible to obtain a plurality of data packets via at least two different paths, and also to identify which data packets are received from which path of the at least two different paths. Since the packet information in the header of each data packet does not change regardless of the different radio access technologies, communication protocols, or radio links used in the two or more different paths, the method can It makes it possible to establish correlations between data packets. The method improves the quality-of-service (QoS) of data communication between a source communication device and a target communication device. For example, when a plurality of data packets obtained via two or more different paths include different data packets with different payloads, the method improves data-throughput and provides Reduce the latency of data communication. When a plurality of data packets obtained through two or more different paths include duplicate data packets having copies of the same payload, the method increases reliability of data communication between a source communication device and a target communication device.

In a first implementation form of the first aspect, at least one of the first path or the second path corresponds to device-to-device communication between a source communication device and a target communication device.

At least one of the first set of data packets or the second set of data packets is received over a direct link between a source communication device and a target communication device in device-to-device communication, which reduces latency and provides flexibility ( increase flexibility).

In a second implementation form of the first aspect, a first path of the two or more different paths is a cellular communication path, wherein the second path of the two or more different paths includes a sidelink corresponding to device-to-device communication; sidelink) communication path, wherein the source communication device and the target communication device are at least one of: a vehicle, an electronic device used in the vehicle, or a portable electronic device.

The cellular communication path provides a large coverage area, while the sidelink communication path increases capacity and network performance through spatial frequency reuse. Thus, multipath communication using both cellular communication and sidelink communication allows for enhanced and reliable communication between two communication devices.

In a third implementation form of the first aspect, the method further comprises filtering, by the target communication device, duplicate data packets from the plurality of data packets received at the target communication device based on the packet information.

The filtering of duplicate data packets ensures that the data is not copied when it is finally presented at the target communication device.

In a fourth implementation form of the first aspect, the method includes reordering, by the target communication device, based on the packet information, the plurality of data packets by a sequence number associated with each of the plurality of data packets - the plurality of data The packet contains different data packets obtained through the first path and the second path in split mode.

The reordering of the plurality of data packets by sequence number ensures that the data packets are rearranged at the target communication device in the same sequence as the sequence in which the data packets are communicated by the source communication device. The method thereby ensures complete data recovery in the target communication device with high reliability and avoids data loss.

In a second aspect, the present disclosure provides a method for performing multipath communication in an originating communication device. The method includes providing a first set of data packets from the plurality of data packets via a first path and a second set of data packets from the plurality of data packets via a second path to a target communication device do. A header of each data packet includes packet information indicating an association between a plurality of data packets. The plurality of data packets includes different data packets having different payloads, or duplicate data packets having copies of the same payload.

The method improves flexibility in data communication when two different paths are used to communicate either different data packets with different payloads or duplicate data packets with copies of the same payload. When the second set of data packets provided via the second path are duplicate data packets having a copy of the same payload of the first set of data packets provided via the first path, the method includes performing multipath communication to communicate the source communication Increase the reliability of data communication between the device and the target communication device. Further, when the first set of data packets are different data packets having a different payload than the second set of data packets, the method implements multipath communication, thereby improving data-throughput, the source communication device and the target Reduce latency of data communication between communication devices.

In a first implementation form of the second aspect, one of the first path or the second path corresponds to device-to-device communication between a source communication device and a target communication device, wherein each data in the source communication device The packet information in the packet is the same as the packet information in each data packet at the target device, regardless of the different radio access technologies, communication protocols, or radio links used in the two or more different paths.

At least one of the first set of data packets or the second set of data packets is provided to a target communication device and received over a direct link between an originating communication device and a target communication device in device-to-device communication, which reduces latency and increase the flexibility of data communication. The packet information in each data packet at the source communication device is not included in each data packet at the target device, regardless of the different radio access technologies, communication protocols, or radio links used in the first path and the second path. Being identical to packet information, the method facilitates end-to-end tracking and correlation of data packets traveling in a multipath environment.

In a second implementation form of the second aspect, the method includes selecting, by the source communication device, a duplication mode or a split mode for communicating a plurality of data packets to a target communication device via two or more different paths - duplication mode or the selection of the partitioning mode occurs before the start of the data session or during the data session.

The decision to select a replication mode or split improves flexibility in data communication. Specifically, the selection of the duplication mode increases the reliability of data communication, while the selection of the split mode not only increases the throughput but also reduces the latency in the data communication. In addition, the selection is possible before the start of the data session or even during the data session, so that fail-safe communication is ensured.

In a third implementation form of the second aspect, the method includes, by a source communication device, a first set of data packets in an uplink transmission to a network entity via a first path, and a second set of data packets in a replication mode. communicating to the target communication device via a second path as duplicate data packets based on the selection, wherein at least the payload of the first set of data packets is the same as the payload of the second set of data packets in the duplicate mode. include more

The payload of the first set of data packets is the same as the payload of the second set of data packets in the replication mode, which means that all data packets communicated by the source communication device are reliably received at the target communication device, for example , ensure that the risk of any data loss due to signal fading is significantly reduced.

In a fourth implementation form of the second aspect, the method includes, by an originating communication device, a first set of data packets in an uplink transmission to a network entity via a first path and a second set of data packets to a second path and communicating to the target communication device via a, wherein the payload of the first set of data packets is different from the payload of the second set of data packets in the split mode.

The payload of the first set of data packets is different from the payload of the second set of data packets in the split mode, which means that the data is targeted by the source communication at a faster rate compared to data packets communicated via the replication mode. It is guaranteed to be provided to the communication device.

In a fourth implementation form of the second aspect, a header of each data packet of the plurality of data packets, or a signaling message sent by the source communication device to at least one of a network entity or a target communication device upon establishment or update of a data session includes an indicator. The indicator indicates the enablement of the multipath function at the network entity or target communication device.

Activation means that a network entity (eg, a radio access network node or a core network entity) knows that it has to perform certain functions, eg, retention of packet information in the header of each received data packet. make it possible Indicators enable end-to-end tracking and correlation of data packets traveling in a multipath environment.

In a third aspect, the present disclosure provides a method for performing multipath communication in a network entity. The method includes obtaining a first set of data packets from a source communication device, wherein a header of each data packet of the first set of data packets includes packet information. The packet information indicates an association between the first set of data packets. The method includes, based on the packet information, mapping an uplink sequence number to a downlink sequence number for each data packet of a received first set of data packets, and the mapped uplink sequence number to a downlink sequence number based on the , providing each received data packet of the first set of data packets comprising the packet information to at least one of the target communication device or the further network entity.

The mapping of an uplink sequence number to a downlink sequence number for each data packet of the first set of data packets addresses data packet disordering issues. As a result of the mapping, there is no need to apply the existing sequence number derivation method for downlink data packets. Further, based on the packet information and the mapping, the method includes a first set of data packets obtained from the source communication device and further provided to the target communication device or a further network entity (eg, another radio access network node or a core network entity). enables end-to-end tracking and correlation of

In a first implementation form of the third aspect, an uplink sequence number is received from a source communication device at a specified network layer, wherein the uplink sequence number is mapped to a downlink sequence number in the specified network layer. The specified network layer is at least one of a Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) layer, a Service Data Adaptation Protocol (SDAP) layer, or another network layer.

The uplink sequence number (eg, uplink PDCP sequence number) in the specified network layer is maintained and mapped to the downlink sequence number (eg, downlink PDCP sequence number) in the specified network layer, which is data packets out of order It solves the issues of alignment and ensures the correct ordering of these data packets.

In a second implementation form of the third aspect, the method includes, by the network entity, an uplink sequence number received from the source communication device in a core network protocol-based header of each received data packet of the first set of data packets. It further includes the step of attaching. The method includes communicating, by the network entity, each received data packet of a first set of data packets having a core network protocol-based header comprising an appended uplink SN to the core network entity - an appended uplink sequence The core network protocol-based header including the number further includes a modified core network protocol-based header that includes the appended uplink sequence number as an extension in the header structure of the core network protocol-based header.

In order to address the issues of disorganization of data packets and to allow the target communication device to compare data packets transmitted via the first path with the second path, each The core network protocol-based header of the data packet is appended with an uplink sequence number obtained from the originating communication device.

In a third implementation form of the third aspect, the core network protocol-based header is a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) tunneling protocol user plane (GTP-U) header.

In existing systems, the sequence numbers of data packets received via the uplink and downlink in cellular communication are potentially different, or the data packets are potentially out of order (ie, incorrectly ordered). Thus, by use of a modified GTP-U header containing an appended uplink sequence number, the issue of disordering of data packets is resolved while the data packets travel through the cellular network.

In a fourth implementation form of the third aspect, the method includes a retrieved uplink sequence number prior to downlink transmission of the received data packets of the first set of data packets to the target communication device by the network entity. and setting as a downlink sequence number in each received data packet of the plurality of data packets.

The downlink sequence number of each data packet is the same as that of the individual uplink sequence number, so there is no need to apply the conventional sequence number derivation method for downlink data packets, and reliable end-to-end of data packets - End-to-end tracking is guaranteed throughout the communication process.

In a fifth implementation form of the third aspect, the method is based on an indicator in a signaling message sent by the network entity, in a header of each data packet of the first set of data packets, or by the originating communication device to enable a multipath function. The feasibility of the multipath function is to store packet information in each data packet of a first set of received data packets at a network entity, and packet information to further provide each received packet to a target communication device. to reuse; or a further network that reuses the packet information to further provide each data packet of the first set of data packets having the packet information, each received packet, to a target communication device via a network entity or another network entity. This includes routing to entities.

To allow the target communication device to be able to compare and track data packets transmitted via the first path and the second path, the method is based on a per data packet basis by use of an indicator in the header of each data packet. In this way, or on a session level basis, by use of a signaling message, it is possible to activate the multipath function.

In a fourth aspect, the present disclosure provides a target communication device for performing multipath communication. The target communication device includes control circuitry configured to obtain, from a source communication device, a plurality of data packets via two or more different paths, wherein a header of each data packet of the plurality of data packets includes packet information. The packet information indicates an association between a plurality of data packets. The packet information in each data packet at the source communication device is the packet within each data packet at the target device, regardless of the different radio access technologies, communication protocols, or radio links used in the two or more different paths. same as information The plurality of data packets includes different data packets having different payloads, or duplicate data packets having copies of the same payload. The control circuitry configures, based on the packet information, a first set of data packets from the plurality of data packets received via the first path, and a second set of data packets from the plurality of data packets received via the second path. further configured to identify.

In further implementation forms of the target communication device of the fourth aspect, the control circuit is configured to perform the features of the implementation forms of the method according to the first aspect. Accordingly, implementation aspects of the target communication device include feature(s) of a corresponding implementation form of the method of the first aspect.

The target communication device of the fourth aspect achieves all the advantages and effects of the method of the first aspect.

In a fifth aspect, the present disclosure provides a source communication device for performing multipath communication. the source communication device controls configured to provide a first set of data packets from the plurality of data packets via a first path and a second set of data packets from the plurality of data packets via a second path to the target communication device circuitry, wherein the header of each data packet includes packet information indicative of an association between the plurality of data packets. The plurality of data packets includes different data packets having different payloads, or duplicate data packets having copies of the same payload.

In further implementation forms of the source communication device of the fifth aspect, the control circuit is configured to perform the features of the implementation forms of the method according to the second aspect. Accordingly, implementation forms of the source communication device include feature(s) of a corresponding implementation form of the method of the second aspect.

The originating communication device of the fifth aspect achieves all the advantages and effects of the method of the second aspect.

In a sixth aspect, the present disclosure provides a network entity for performing multipath communication. The network entity includes entity control circuitry configured to obtain a first set of data packets from an originating communication device, wherein a header of each data packet of the first set of data packets includes packet information, wherein the packet information includes: The information indicates an association between the first set of data packets. The entity control circuitry is further configured to map the uplink sequence number to a downlink sequence number for each data packet of the received first set of data packets based on the packet information. The entity control circuitry may route, based on the uplink sequence number mapped to the downlink sequence number, each received data packet of the first set of data packets comprising packet information to at least one of the target communication device or the further network entity. further configured to provide

In further implementation forms of the network entity of the sixth aspect, the control circuit is configured to perform the features of the implementation forms of the method according to the third aspect. Accordingly, implementation forms of the network entity include feature(s) of a corresponding implementation form of the method of the second aspect.

The network entity of the sixth aspect achieves all the advantages and effects of the method of the third aspect.

In a seventh aspect, the present disclosure provides a computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon computer-readable instructions, the computer-readable instructions comprising: or by a computerized device comprising processing hardware for carrying out the aforementioned method of the third aspect.

The computer program product of the seventh aspect achieves all the advantages and effects of the method of the first, second, or third aspect.

It should be noted that all devices, elements, circuitry, units, and means described in this application may be implemented in software or hardware elements, or any kind of combination thereof. All steps performed by the various entities described in this application, as well as the functionalities described to be performed by the various entities, are intended to mean that the respective entity is equipped or configured to perform the individual steps and functionalities. do. In the following description of specific embodiments, although a specific functionality or step to be performed by external entities is not reflected in the description of a specific detailed element of that entity performing that specific step or functionality, these methods and functionalities are It should be apparent to those skilled in the art that it may be implemented in individual software or hardware elements, or any kind of combination thereof. It will be appreciated that features of the present disclosure may be combined in various combinations without departing from the scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims.

Additional aspects, advantages, features, and objects of the present disclosure will become apparent in the drawings and detailed description of exemplary embodiments, interpreted in conjunction with the appended claims that follow.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The above summary, as well as the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments, is better understood when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. For the purpose of illustrating the disclosure, exemplary configurations of the disclosure are shown in the drawings. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the specific methods and instrumentalities disclosed herein. Additionally, those skilled in the art will understand that the drawings are not drawn to scale. Wherever possible, like elements have been denoted by like numbers.
Embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described by way of example only with reference to the following drawings, wherein:
1 is a flowchart of a method for performing multipath communication in a target communication device, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;
2 is a flowchart of a method for performing multipath communication in an originating communication device, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;
3 is a flowchart of a method for performing multipath communication in a network entity, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;
4A is a network environment diagram of a system having a source communication device and a target communication device, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;
4B is a diagram illustrating data communication via a replication mode, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;
4C is a diagram illustrating data communication over a split mode, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;
4D is a block diagram illustrating various example components of an originating communication device, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;
4E is a block diagram illustrating various example components of a target communication device, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;
5 is a network environment diagram of a system with various nodes of a cellular network, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;
6 is a block diagram illustrating various example components of a network entity, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;
7 is an illustrative diagram of an example scenario for execution of multipath communication with network layers, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;
8 is an illustrative diagram of an example scenario for execution of multipath communication over different radio access technologies, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;
9 is an illustrative diagram of an example scenario for execution of multipath communication by replication and segmentation of packets in a Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) layer, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;
10 is an exemplary diagram of an exemplary structure of a general packet radio service (GPRS) tunneling protocol user plane (GTP-U) header, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;
11 is a sequence diagram illustrating a portion of a procedure of protocol data unit (PDU) session establishment, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;
12 is an illustration of an exemplary indicator in a header of a data packet, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure; and
13 is an illustrative diagram of an example scenario illustrating vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) multipath communication, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
In the accompanying drawings, an underlined number is employed to represent an item to which the underlined number is located, or an item to which the underlined number is adjacent. The non-underlined number relates to the item identified by the line linking the non-underlined number to the item. When a number is not underlined or accompanied by an associated arrow, the unmarked number is used to identify the general item to which the arrow is pointing.

The detailed description that follows illustrates embodiments of the disclosure and the ways in which the embodiments may be implemented. Although some modes of carrying out the present disclosure have been disclosed, those skilled in the art will recognize that other embodiments for carrying out or practicing the present disclosure are also possible.

1 is a flowchart of a method 100 for performing multipath communication in a target communication device, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The method 100 is executed, for example, by the target communication device described in FIG. 1A . Method 100 includes steps 102 and 104 .

In step 102, a plurality of data packets are obtained from the originating communication device via two or more different paths. Each path of the two or more different paths differs from the other paths at least in use of a radio access technology, a communication protocol, a radio link, an interface, or a combination thereof. In an example, two or more different paths may refer to a cellular communication path and a sidelink communication path. In another example, two or more different paths may refer to different device-to-device communications. A header of each data packet of the plurality of data packets includes packet information. The packet information indicates an association between a plurality of data packets. Stated alternatively, packet information links a plurality of data packets, regardless of the different radio access technologies, communication protocols, or radio links used in the two or more different paths. The packet information in each data packet at the source communication device is the packet within each data packet at the target device, regardless of the different radio access technologies, communication protocols, or radio links used in the two or more different paths. same as information The plurality of data packets includes different data packets having different payloads, or duplicate data packets having copies of the same payload.

In step 104, the first set of data packets from the plurality of data packets received via the first path, and the second set of data packets from the plurality of data packets received via the second path are included in the packet information. is identified based on In an example, packet information is stored (i.e., maintained) in the header of each data packet of the plurality of data packets, regardless of the path traversed by the plurality of data packets from the source communication device to the target communication device (eg, segmented). packet identifier or sequence number (for data packets or duplicate data packets). This packet information is used to identify which data packets are received from which of two or more different paths at the target communication device.

According to an embodiment, one of the first path or the second path corresponds to device-to-device communication between a source communication device and a target communication device. Alternatively, a first path of the two or more different paths is a cellular communication path, and a second path of the two or more different paths is a sidelink communication path corresponding to device-to-device communication. In particular, the cellular communication path has different transmission characteristics than the sidelink communication path. For example, a cellular communication path provides a better signal coverage area than a sidelink communication path, whereas a sidelink communication path reduces latency and increases capacity and network performance through spatial frequency reuse. Next-generation services, such as vehicle-to-everything (V2X) services, meet over-demanding quality of service (QoS) requirements as specified in the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). It is known to have Thus, to achieve target QoS requirements, two or more different paths may be used simultaneously for data communication. Other examples of the first path and the second path are described, for example, in FIG. 4A .

According to an embodiment, the method 100 further comprises filtering, by the target communication device, duplicate data packets from the plurality of data packets received at the target communication device based on the packet information. When the plurality of data packets obtained by the target communication device include duplicate data packets, the duplicate data packet in the first set of data packets or the second set of data packets is the final presentation ( That is, it is removed before output for user consumption). In an example, the filtering of duplicate data packets is an application layer of a radio protocol stack in the target communication device, a convergence layer (V2X layer in the case of a vehicle), or a specific network, such as a data packet convergence protocol (PDCP) layer. layer (also referred to as a protocol layer).

According to an embodiment, the method 100 further comprises reordering, by the target communication device, based on the packet information, the plurality of data packets by a sequence number associated with each of the plurality of data packets, wherein: The data packet of A includes different data packets obtained through the first path and the second path in the split mode. When a plurality of data packets obtained by the target communication device include different data packets, packet information including a dedicated sequence number is checked in each data packet, and thus, the plurality of data packets in the target communication device They are sorted in sequential order before final presentation (ie output for user consumption). The first set of data packets received over the first path and the second set of data packets received simultaneously over the second path improve data-throughput and reduce latency of data communication.

Steps 102 and 104 are exemplary only, and other alternatives may also be provided, wherein one or more steps are added, or one or more steps removed, without departing from the scope of the claims herein; One or more steps are provided in a different sequence.

2 is a flowchart of a method 200 for performing multipath communication at an originating communication device, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. Method 200 is executed, for example, by the originating communication device described in FIG. 4A .

In step 202, a first set of data packets from the plurality of data packets over the first path and a second set of data packets from the plurality of data packets over the second path are provided to a target communication device. Stated alternatively, multipath communication is performed at a source communication device to provide a plurality of data packets to a target communication device. Multipath communication refers to communication of data over two or more different paths to a common destination device (such as a target communication device in this case), wherein each path includes at least a radio access technology for communicating data. , differs from other paths in the use of communication protocols, radio links, interfaces, or combinations thereof. For example, a data item such as text, audio, video, or other media, or a combination thereof, may be communicated from a source communication device to a target communication device. These data items are segmented into a plurality of data packets. A header of each data packet of the plurality of data packets includes packet information indicating an association between the plurality of data packets. For example, the packet information indicates that a plurality of data packets belong to the same data item, and further indicates whether the data packet is a duplicate data packet or a fragment data packet. Alternatively stated, regardless of different radio access technologies, communication protocols, or radio links traversed by a first set of data packets and a second set of data packets from a source communication device to a target communication device, the packet The information links a plurality of data packets. The plurality of data packets includes different data packets with different payloads (ie, split data packets), or duplicate data packets with copies of the same payload. Duplicate data packets and split data packets are further described, for example, in FIGS. 4B and 4C , respectively.

According to an embodiment, at least one of the first path or the second path corresponds to device-to-device communication between a source communication device and a target communication device. For example, the first path may be a cellular communication path, and the second path may be a sidelink communication path corresponding to device-to-device communication. When the first path is a cellular communication path, the first set of data packets from the plurality of data packets are communicated via a cellular interface (eg, Uu interface). When the second path is a sidelink communication path, the second set of data packets of the plurality of data packets communicate via a sidelink interface (eg, PC5 or PC3 interface) or other interfaces configured for device-to-device communication. do. The source communication device may support both a cellular interface and a sidelink interface. Alternatively, the first path and the second path are different device-to-device communications (eg, IEEE 802.11p (also dedicated short-range communication dedicated to road transport and traffic telematics)) (DSRC) or intelligent transport system (ITS) - known as G5), Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi), Wi-Fi Direct, Long Term evolution (Long Term evolution) ( LTE) direct, 5G New Radio (NR) based device-to-device communication, etc.).

According to an embodiment, the method 200 further comprises selecting, by the source communication device, a duplicate mode or a split mode for communicating, by the source communication device, the plurality of data packets to the target communication device via two or more different paths. The selection of replication mode or split mode occurs either before the start of a data session or during a data session. Optionally, either the duplicate mode or the split mode is set as a default at the source communication device. Optionally, selection of duplicate mode or split mode is made based on user input provided to the originating communication device. Alternatively, the selection is made automatically based on the type or size of the data (or data item) to be communicated. In duplicate mode, duplicate data packets having a copy of the same payload are communicated via at least two different paths to ensure that all data packets reliably arrive at a common destination, such as a target communication device. Replication mode enables redundancy of radio links which increases the reliability of data communication. In the split mode, the plurality of data packets are split into a first set of data packets and a second set of data packets, where each data packet has a different payload. Thereafter, the first set of data packets and the second set of data packets are provided from the source communication device to a common destination, such as a target communication device, via at least two different paths to increase throughput and reduce latency .

According to an embodiment, the method 200 provides, by the originating communication device, a first set of data packets in an uplink transmission to a network entity via a first path, and a second set of data packets based on selection of a replication mode. and communicating as duplicate data packets to the target communication device via the second path. In this case, at least the payload of the first set of data packets is the same as the payload of the second set of data packets in the replication mode. Alternatively, method 200 includes communicating, by a source communication device, a first set of data packets via a first path to a network entity in an uplink transmission, and a second set of data packets to a target via a second path. and communicating with the device. In this case, the payload of the first set of data packets is different from the payload of the second set of data packets in the split mode. When the first path is a cellular communication path, the first set of data packets are communicated in an uplink transmission to a network entity, such as a base station. Optionally, the first set of data packets traverses through various network entities, such as a source radio access network node (eg, a base station), a core network entity, or a target radio access network node, where different types of communication protocols are used. do. This means that different headers and identifiers can be used from one node to another network node. In contrast to existing methods and systems, packet information in a header of each data packet of a plurality of data packets may be determined using different radio access technologies, communication protocols, or radio links used in the first path and the second path. , and additional control information that remains unchanged in the header of each data irrespective of the different network nodes traversed by the first set of data packets.

According to an embodiment, a header of each data packet of a plurality of data packets, or a signaling message transmitted by the source communication device to at least one of a network entity or a target communication device upon establishment or update of a data session, comprises an indicator. The indicator indicates the viability of the multipath function at the network entity or target communication device. The signaling message may refer to control plane signaling or other signaling messages. In an example, the indicator is from a binary bit value (“0” or “1”) that may be set in a data packet in at least one reserved field (eg, a PDCP layer header) of a particular network layer at the originating communication device. It may be a specific bit value (eg, bit value “1”). The specific bit value acts as a flag for signaling to the network entity or target communication device that the multipath function will be enabled. An example of an indicator is further described in FIG. 12 . The feasibility of a multipath function refers to an indication that certain treatment needs to be provided for data packets having an indicator. The specific processing includes storing (or maintaining) packet information in a header of each data packet of a plurality of data packets received at a network entity (eg, a base station), and for further providing each received packet to a target communication device. Refers to a configuration change or network capability that allows reuse of packet information.

Steps 202 are exemplary only, and other alternatives may also be provided, wherein one or more steps are added, one or more steps removed, or one or more steps without departing from the scope of the claims herein. The steps are presented in a different sequence.

3 is a flowchart of a method 300 for performing multipath communication in a network entity, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Method 300 is executed, for example, by the network entity described in FIG. 6 . Method 300 includes steps 302-306.

In step 302, a first set of data packets is obtained from an originating communication device. For example, the first set of data packets is obtained over a cellular communication path. A header of each data packet of the first set of data packets includes packet information. The packet information indicates an association between the first set of data packets.

In step 304, based on the packet information, the uplink sequence number is mapped to a downlink sequence number for each data packet of the received first set of data packets. According to an embodiment, the uplink sequence number is received at a specified network layer from the originating communication device. The uplink sequence number is mapped to the downlink sequence number in the specified network layer. The specified network layer is at least one of a PDCP layer, a service data adaptation protocol (SDAP) layer, or another network layer. In an example, a network entity (such as a source network access node) resolves the incorrect ordering of data packets and allows the target communication device to compare data packets received over the sidelink communication path with data packets received over the cellular communication path. In order to enable (or match) the uplink PDCP sequence number with the downlink PDCP sequence number, it may be configured to perform mapping. Thus, in this case, there is no need for the network entity (or target network entity) to apply the existing PDCP sequence derivation method for downlink data packets.

In step 306 , each received data packet of the first set of data packets comprising packet information is selected based on the mapped uplink sequence number to the downlink sequence number of the target communication device or the further network entity. At least one is provided.

Optionally, method 300 may include, by the network entity, an uplink sequence number (SN) received from the source communication device in a core network protocol-based header of each received data packet of the first set of data packets. ) is further included. The method further includes communicating, by the network entity, each received data packet of the first set of data packets having a core network protocol-based header including an appended uplink SN to the core network entity. The Core Network Protocol-Based Header with Appended Uplink SN is a modified Core Network Protocol-Based Header that includes the appended Uplink SN as an extension in the header structure of the Core Network Protocol-Based Header. Optionally, the core network protocol-based header is a generic packet radio service (GPRS) tunneling protocol user plane (GTP-U) header. An example of a GTP-U header is described, for example, in FIG. 10 . Alternatively, the first set of data packets may not be forwarded to the core network entity and may be communicated directly from the network entity to the target communication device in a downlink transmission. Optionally, the first set of data packets may not be forwarded to the core network entity, but may be forwarded to a further network entity, such as a target radio access node, the target radio access node then in the downlink transmission. Forward a first set of data packets to a target communication device. In such cases, the corner network protocol-based header may not be used.

According to an embodiment, the method 300 includes, prior to downlink transmission by the network entity of the received data packets of the first set of data packets to the target communication device, the retrieved uplink SN of each of a plurality of data packets. and setting as the downlink SN in the received data packet of

According to an embodiment, the method 300 multipaths based on an indicator in a signaling message sent by the network entity, in the header of each data packet of the first set of data packets, or by the originating communication device. further comprising enabling the function. An example of an indicator in the header of a data packet is described, for example, in FIG. 12 . An example of a signaling message(s) in a session is described, for example, in FIG. 11 . The feasibility of the multipath function is to store (or maintain) packet information within each data packet of a first set of received data packets at a network entity, and to further provide each received packet to a target communication device. Including reuse of information. Alternatively, the feasibility of the multipath function further provides each data packet of the first set of data packets having packet information, each received packet to the target communication device via a network entity or another network entity and routing the packet information to an additional network entity that reuses the packet information to do so.

Steps 302 , 304 , and 306 are exemplary only, and other alternatives may also be provided, wherein one or more steps are added or one or more steps are added without departing from the scope of the claims herein. removed, or one or more steps are provided in a different sequence.

4A is a block diagram illustrating a network environment of a system 400A for implementing multipath communication, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 4A , a network environment of a system 400A including a source communication device 402 and a target communication device 404 is shown. A first path 406 and a second path 408 are further shown. The source communication device 402 and the target communication device 404 may be configured to establish communication with each other via two or more different paths, such as a first path 406 and a second path 408 .

Each of the source communication device 402 and the target communication device 404 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces, and/or code configured to communicate (transmit/receive) data via two or more different paths. have. According to an embodiment, each of the source communication device 402 and the target communication device 404 is: a vehicle, an electronic device used in the vehicle (eg, an electronic control unit (ECU)), in-vehicle infotainment (in -vehicle infotainment (IVI) systems, or other in-vehicle devices), or portable electronic devices (eg, smartphones, drones, Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices, machine type communication) ) (MTC) devices, hand-held computing devices, universal mobile telecommunications system (UMTS) evolved UMTS terrestrial radio access (E-UTRAN) NR-dual connectivity (E-) UTRAN NR-dual connectivity (EN-DC) device, or any other customized hardware for wireless telecommunication). The vehicle may be a non-autonomous, semi-autonomous, or autonomous vehicle.

Multipath communication refers to the communication of data over two or more different paths to a common destination device, wherein each path includes at least a radio access technology, communication protocol, radio link, interface, or the like for communicating data. It differs from other routes in the use of the combination. Accordingly, the first path 406 differs from the second path 408 in use of a radio access technology, one or more communication protocols, radio link, and/or interface to communicate data.

In an example, the first path 406 may be a cellular communication path (ie, cellular network-based communication), while the second path 408 may be a sidelink communication path (ie, device-to-device communication). have. Examples of cellular network-based communications include, but are not limited to, fifth generation (5G) or 5G NR (e.g., sub 6 GHz, cmWave, or mmWave communications), Long Term Evolution (LTE) 4G, 3G, or 2G. does not In cases where the source communication device 402 or the target communication device 404 is a vehicle, or an electronic device used in a vehicle, such cellular network-based communication may be achieved, for example, by use of a Uu interface in the mobile broadband spectrum. It may be vehicle-to-network (V2N) communication in operation. The Uu interface refers to a radio interface between a communication device and a radio access network. In this example, first path 406 uses a cellular network having different radio access technology, communication protocols, radio link, and interface (eg, Uu interface) to communicate data, while second path 408 . uses device-to-device communication independent of the cellular network. Device-to-device communication improves spectrum usage and capacity, and increases network performance and throughput. Examples of device-to-device communication include IEEE 802.11p, wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi), Wi-Fi Direct, LTE Direct, in-band device-to-device communication, out-of-band device-to-device communication, or proximity- including, but not limited to, proximity-based services (ProSe) based device-to-device communication. Device-to-device communication may be performed in a cellular system, known as in-band device-to-device communication, or may occur in an unlicensed spectrum, known as out-of-band device-to-device communication. Device-to-device communication is potentially implemented over different interfaces (eg, a PC5 interface, a PC3 interface, or other wireless local area network (WLAN)-based interface), an originating communication device 402 . ) and the target communication device 404 .

In another example, the first path 406 may employ IEEE 802.11p, while the second path 408 may employ 5G-V2X communication or LTE-V2X communication (via PC5). In another example, the first path 406 and the second path 408 may be such that the first path 406 may employ LTE PC5, while the second path 408 may employ NR PC5. ) may employ different device-to-device communication. In another example, the first path 406 may employ Wi-Fi based communication, while the second path 408 may employ PC5 interface-based device-to-device communication.

In operation, a user of the source communication device 402 may desire to communicate data with the target communication device 404 . According to an embodiment, the source communication device 402 is configured to select the duplicate mode or the split mode for communicating the plurality of data packets to the target communication device 404 via two or more different paths. The selection of replication mode or split mode occurs either before the start of a data session or during a data session. Duplicate mode and split mode are described in detail in Figs. 4B and 4C, respectively, for example.

The originating communication device 402 transmits a first set of data packets from the plurality of data packets via a first path 406 and a second set of data packets from the plurality of data packets via a second path 408 . and to the target communication device 404 via The plurality of data packets includes different data packets having different payloads (eg, when split mode is selected), or duplicate data packets having a copy of the same payload (eg, when duplicate mode is selected). do. A header of each data packet includes packet information indicating an association between a plurality of data packets.

Optionally, the source communication device 402 is configured to provide a second set of data packets to the target communication device 404 via the second path 408 in a multi-hop process. For example, even if the target communication device 404 moves beyond a specified device-to-device communication range from the source communication device 402 , the first set of data packets is sent to a destination device, such as the target communication device 404 . A device-to-device communication may traverse through multiple communication devices to finally arrive. For example, the source communication device 102 is “A” and the target communication device is “D”. “B” and “C” are intermediate communication devices. “B” may be in device-to-device communication range from “A” and “C” rather than “D”. “C” may be in device-to-device communication range from “B” and “D” rather than “C”. Thus, in these cases, "A" may provide to "D" a second set of data packets from A to B to C to D in the following manner, whereas "D" is a large coverage area of cellular communication. Due to this, it is possible to obtain the first set of data packets in the downlink transmission via the cellular communication path.

The target communication device 404 is configured to obtain, from the source communication device 402 , a plurality of data packets via two or more different paths. In particular, a header of each data packet of the plurality of data packets includes packet information. The packet information indicates an association between a plurality of data packets. Packet information in each data packet at the source communication device 402 is transmitted at the target communication device 404 regardless of the different radio access technologies, communication protocols, or radio links used in the two or more different paths. It is the same as the packet information in each data packet of . The plurality of data packets includes different data packets having different payloads, or duplicate data packets having copies of the same payload. The target communication device 404 is configured to: based on the packet information, a first set of data packets from the plurality of data packets received via the first path 406 , and a plurality of data packets received via the second path 408 . and identify a second set of data packets from the packet.

4B is a block diagram illustrating data communication via replication mode, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 4B is illustrated with elements from FIG. 4A . Referring to FIG. 4B , an exemplary scenario 400B for illustrating data communication in a replication mode is shown. A source communication device 402 , a target communication device 404 , a first path 406 , a second path 408 , a first set of data packets 410a , 412a , and 414a , and a second set of data packets (410b, 412b, and 414b) are further shown.

There are two modes (or options) for multipath communication. The two modes are referred to as replication mode and split mode. Replication mode enables redundancy of radio links which increases reliability of data communication. In duplicate mode, duplicate data packets having a copy of the same payload are communicated via at least two different paths to ensure that all data packets reach a common destination, such as the target communication device 404 . In the split mode, different data packets with different payloads are simultaneously provided to a common destination, such as the target communication device 404 via at least two different paths, to increase throughput and reduce latency. In other words, some data packets from a plurality of data packets are communicated over one path, while some other data packets are communicated simultaneously over another path to increase throughput and reduce latency.

According to an embodiment, the source communication device 402 is configured to select the replication mode to communicate the plurality of data packets to the target communication device 404 via two or more different paths. The selection of the replication mode occurs before the start of the data session, ie before the start of the transmission of data packets, or during the data session. Based on the selection of the replication mode, the source communication device 402 is configured to provide the first set of data packets 410a , 412a , and 414a via the first path 406 . The source communication device 402 provides the second set of data packets 410b , 412b , and 414b as duplicate data packets based on the selection of the replication mode to the target communication device 404 via the second path 408 . further configured to do so. In this case, at least the payload of the first set of data packets 410a , 412a , and 414a is the same as the payload of the second set of data packets 410b , 412b , and 414b in duplicate mode. data packets of the first set of data packets 410a, 412a, and 414a and duplicate data packets of the first set of data packets 410a, 412a, and 414a (ie, the second set of data packets 410b; 412b, and 414b)) are transmitted in sequence (also represented by successive numbers 1, 2, and 3 in FIG. 4b).

In the example implementation, the target communication device 404 is configured to filter duplicate data packets from the plurality of data packets received at the target communication device 404 based on the packet information. Thus, in order to ensure that data is error-free, a first set of data packets 410a , 412a , and 414a and a second set 410b of data packets potentially obtained by the target communication device 404 . , 412b, and 414b) are filtered out. Such multipath communication via replication mode is advantageous in order to achieve better reliability than communication via a single path.

4C is a block diagram illustrating data communication over split mode, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 4C is described in conjunction with elements from FIGS. 4A and 4B . Referring to FIG. 4C , an exemplary scenario 400C for illustrating data communication in a split mode is shown. In the split mode, the plurality of data packets comprises a first set 416 , 420 , and 424 of data packets communicated via a first path 406 , and a second set of data packets communicated via a second path 408 . It is divided into sets 418 , 422 , and 426 . The payload of the first set of data packets 416 , 420 , and 424 is different from the payload of the second set of data packets 418 , 422 , and 426 in the split mode. In the example, as shown in FIG. 4C , when a total of six data packets 416 , 418 , 420 , 422 , 424 , and 426 are to be provided to the target communication device 404 , increasing throughput and latency To reduce the number of data packets, the plurality of data packets are split and communicated simultaneously over two paths (ie, first path 406 and second path 408 ). The sequence of transmission of data packets is also represented by consecutive numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. The selection of the duplicate mode or the split mode may be made by the source communication device 402 to improve the QoS of communication between the source communication device 402 and the target communication device 404 .

4D is a block diagram illustrating various example components of an originating communication device, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 4D is described in conjunction with elements from FIGS. 4A, 4B, and 4C. Referring to FIG. 4D , an originating communication device 402 is shown. The source communication device 402 includes control circuitry 428 , a transceiver 430 , one or more interfaces 432 , an input/output (I/O) device 434 , and a memory 436 . Control circuitry 428 may be communicatively coupled to transceiver 430 , one or more interfaces 432 , I/O device 434 , and memory 436 . In the case where the source communication device 402 is a vehicle, the control circuitry 428 may be configured on an in-vehicle data bus such as a vehicle area network (VAN) and/or a controller area network (CAN) bus. communicatively coupled to the various components of the originating communication device 402 via an in-vehicle network such as

As already indicated above, the control circuitry in these and the following embodiments may be a general-purpose processor running dedicated software or dedicated hardware circuitry.

The control circuitry 428 is configured to provide the plurality of data packets to the target communication device 404 via two or more different paths. In an implementation, control circuitry 428 is configured to execute instructions stored within memory 436 . Examples of control circuitry 428 include a microprocessor, a microcontroller, a complex instruction set computing (CISC) processor, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) processor, a reduced instruction set ( reduced instruction set (RISC) processors, very long instruction word (VLIW) processors, central processing units (CPUs), state machines, data processing units, and other processors may include, but are not limited to, devices or circuits. Control circuitry 428 may also refer to one or more individual processors, processing devices, or processing units that are part of a machine.

Transceiver 430 may be configured to communicate with one or more external devices, such as a radio access network node (eg, a base station) or target communication device 404 , via two or more different paths, suitable logic, circuitry, and/or It may include interfaces. Examples of transceiver 430 include an antenna, a telematics unit, a radio frequency (RF) transceiver, one or more amplifiers, one or more oscillators, a digital signal processor, a coder-decoder (CODEC) chipset, and/or a subscriber identity module (SIM) card. The transceiver 430 may communicate wirelessly by use of various communication protocols in the first path 406 and the second path 408 (as described in FIG. 4A ).

One or more interfaces 432 refer to a sidelink interface and a cellular interface. Examples of sidelink interfaces include, but are not limited to, a PC5 interface, a PC3 interface, or another interface that allows device-to-device communication. Examples of a cellular interface include, but are not limited to, a Uu interface. In an exemplary implementation, a unified interface may be provided that allows communication in two or more paths through the same unified interface.

I/O device 434 refers to input and output devices capable of receiving input from a user and providing output to a user. The I/O device 434 may be communicatively coupled to the control circuitry 428 . Examples of input devices include a touch screen, such as a touch screen of a display device, a microphone, a motion sensor, an optical sensor, a dedicated hardware input unit (such as a push button), and a docking station. may include, but are not limited to. Examples of output devices include a display device and a speaker. Examples of display devices are (head-up display (HUD), augmented reality system (AR-HUD), display screen of driver information console (DIC), infotainment unit, or a vehicle display (such as a head unit (HU)), a non-vehicle display such as a smart-glass display, a display screen of a portable device, or other display screen.

Memory 436 may include suitable logic, circuitry, and/or interfaces that may be configured to store machine code and/or instructions having at least one section of code executable by control circuitry 428 . The memory 436 may store a plurality of data packets for processing and presentation to an application layer of the originating communication device 402 . Examples of implementations of memory 436 include Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EEPROM), Random Access Memory (RAM), Read Only Memory ) (ROM), Hard Disk Drive (HDD), Flash memory, Secure Digital (SD) card, Solid-State Drive (SSD), and / or CPU cache memory, but is not limited thereto. The memory 436 may store an operating system and/or other program products for operating the originating communication device 402 . A computer-readable storage medium for providing a non-transitory memory may include an electronic storage device, a magnetic storage device, an optical storage device, an electromagnetic storage device, a semiconductor storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing, but this is not limited to

4E is a block diagram illustrating various example components of a target communication device, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 4e is described in conjunction with elements from Figs. 1-3, and Figs. 4a-4d. Referring to FIG. 4E , a target communication device 404 is shown. The target communication device 404 includes control circuitry 438 , a transceiver 440 , one or more interfaces 442 , an input/output (I/O) device 444 , and a memory 446 . Control circuitry 438 may be communicatively coupled to transceiver 440 , one or more interfaces 442 , I/O device 444 , and memory 446 . When the target communication device 404 is a vehicle, the control circuitry 438 is configured to communicate with the target via an in-vehicle network such as in-vehicle data buses such as a vehicle area network (VAN) and/or a controller area network (CAN) bus. communicatively coupled to various components of device 404 .

The control circuitry 438 is configured to obtain the plurality of data packets via two or more different paths. In an implementation, control circuitry 428 is configured to execute instructions stored within memory 436 . Examples of control circuitry 438 are similar to those of control circuitry 428 (FIG. 4D). Similarly, examples of implementations of transceiver 440 , one or more interfaces 442 , I/O device 444 , and memory 446 are transceiver 430 , one or more interfaces 432 of FIG. 4D , respectively. , I/O device 434 , and memory 436 .

5 is a block diagram illustrating a network environment of a system 500 having various nodes of a cellular network, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 5 is described in conjunction with elements from Figures 1-3, and Figures 4a - 4e. Referring to FIG. 5 , a source communication device 402 , a target communication device 404 , and one or more network entities of a cellular network 502 , such as a source radio access network (RAN) node 504 . ), a core network entity 506 , and a target RAN node 508 are shown.

Each of the source RAN node 504 and the target RAN node 508 is a NodeB, an evolved Node B (eNB), a Next Generation Node B (gNB), a base transceiver station. , an access point base station, a base station router, or any other network entity capable of communicating with a wireless device (eg, the source communication device 402 or the target communication device 404 ). Cellular network 502 encompasses a geographic area divided into cell areas, wherein one or more cell areas are served by a source RAN node 504 and a target RAN node 508 .

The core network entity 506 is part of a cellular network 502 that connects different nodes (or portions) of an access network (ie, RAN). In LTE, the core network entity 506 is, for example, a serving gateway (S-GW), a packet data network (PDN) gateway (PDN GW), a mobility management entity ), a Home Subscriber Server (HSS) as an evolved packet core (EPC). In the case of 5G, network entities are referred to as “functions” and typically not as “nodes”. For example, the functions of 4G S-GW and PDN-GW are merged into a single entity called a user plane function (UPF). In another example, 4G MME is split into two separate functions: an access management function (AMF) and a session management function (SMF). However, in this disclosure, a network entity may encompass both access node entities and core network entities (eg, network nodes or functions).

In operation, the source communication device 402 is configured to provide a first set of data packets from the plurality of data packets to the target communication device 404 via the cellular communication path 510 . To provide a first set of data packets to the target communication device 404 via the cellular communication path 510 , the first set of data packets is transmitted in an uplink transmission 512 (such as the source RAN node 504 ). It is communicated first as a network entity. Thereafter, the first set of data packets is communicated with the target communication device 404 , or the core network entity 506 and the target RAN node 508 , to provide to the target communication device 404 in a downlink transmission 514 . may be further communicated to the same additional network entity. The source communication device 402 is further configured to communicate a second set of data packets from the plurality of data packets to the target communication device 404 via the sidelink communication path 516 . A header of each data packet includes packet information indicating an association between a plurality of data packets.

A network entity, such as the source RAN node 504 , is configured to obtain the first set of data packets from the source communication device 402 . A header of each data packet of the first set of data packets includes packet information.

According to an embodiment, the network (such as the source RAN node 504 ) is an indicator in the header of each data packet of the first set of data packets, or in a signaling message sent by the source communication device 402 . is configured to enable a multipath function based on The specific function is to store (or maintain) packet information in the header of each data packet of a first set of received data packets at a network entity (such as the source RAN node 504 ), and to target each received packet. Refers to a network capability that allows reuse of packet information for further presentation to a communication device 404 . When a data packet from a network entity (such as a source RAN node 504) traverses through one or more other RAN nodes, such as a core network entity 506, or a target RAN node 508, the multipath function is: Packet information to further provide each received packet to a target communication device 404 via a network entity (such as a source RAN node 504) or another network entity (such as a target RAN node 508) Refers to a network capability that allows routing of each data packet of a first set of data packets having packet information to a further network entity for reuse.

A network entity, such as the source RAN node 504 , based on the packet information, assigns an uplink sequence number (eg, an uplink PDCP sequence number) to a downlink sequence number for each data packet of the received first set of data packets. (eg, downlink PDCP sequence number). A network entity, such as the source RAN node 504, sends each received data packet of the first set of data packets comprising packet information to the target communication device based on the mapped uplink sequence number to the downlink sequence number. 404) or at least one of the additional network entities (such as the core network entity 506 or the target RAN node 508).

The target communication device 404 is configured to obtain the plurality of data packets via the cellular communication path 510 and the sidelink communication path 516 . The plurality of data packets includes different data packets having different payloads, or duplicate data packets having copies of the same payload. The target communication device 404 is configured to, based on the packet information, a first set of data packets from a plurality of data packets received via the cellular communication path 510 and a plurality of data packets received via the sidelink communication path 516 . and identify a second set of data packets from the data packet.

6 is a block diagram illustrating various example components of a network entity, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 6 is described in conjunction with elements from FIGS. 4A-4E , and FIG. 5 . Referring to FIG. 6 , a network entity 600 is shown. Network entity 600 corresponds to one of the network entities of cellular network 502 ( FIG. 5 ). Network entity 600 encompasses both access network entities (eg, RAN node) and core network entities (eg, nodes or functions). Network entity 600 includes entity control circuitry 602 , transceiver 604 , and memory 606 . Entity control circuitry 602 is communicatively coupled to transceiver 604 and memory 606 .

The entity control circuitry 602 is configured to obtain a first set of data packets from the source communication device 402 , wherein a header of each data packet of the first set of data packets includes packet information. The packet information indicates an association between the first set of data packets. Examples of entity control circuitry 602 are similar to examples of control circuitry 428 ( FIG. 4D ). As already indicated above, the entity control circuitry in these and the following embodiments, or simply the control circuitry, may be a general purpose processor running dedicated software or dedicated hardware circuitry. Similarly, examples of implementations of transceiver 604 and memory 606 are similar to those of transceiver 430 and memory 436 of FIG. 4D , respectively.

According to an embodiment, the entity control circuitry 602 determines the uplink sequence number (SN) received from the source communication device 402 in the core network protocol-based header of each received data packet of the first set of data packets. configured to be attached. The entity control circuitry 602 is further configured to communicate to the core network entity 506 each received data packet of the first set of data packets having a core network protocol-based header comprising an appended uplink SN. . The Core Network Protocol-Based Header with Appended Uplink SN is a modified Core Network Protocol-Based Header that includes the appended Uplink SN as an extension in the header structure of the Core Network Protocol-Based Header. Optionally, the corner network protocol-based header is a GTP-U header. The entity control circuitry 602 is configured to, prior to downlink transmission of the received data packets of the first set of data packets to the target communication device 404 , the retrieved uplink SN within each received data packet of the plurality of data packets. and set as the downlink SN.

According to an embodiment, the entity control circuitry 602 multipaths based on an indicator in the header of each data packet of the first set of data packets, or in a signaling message sent by the originating communication device 402 . It is configured to enable the function. The feasibility of the multipath function may include storing packet information in each data packet of a first set of received data packets at the network entity 600 and further providing each received packet to a target communication device 404 . and reusing packet information for The feasibility of the multipath function is to reuse packet information (core network entity 506 and and the like) routing each data packet of the first set of data packets having the packet information to a further network entity.

7 illustrates an example scenario 700 for performing multipath communication with network layers, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. 7 is described in conjunction with elements from FIGS. 4A-4E , 5 , and 6 . Referring to FIG. 7 , a first plurality of network layers 702A (ie, a user plane protocol stack) in the source communication device 402 , and a second plurality of network layers 702B in the target communication device 404 . (ie, the corresponding user plane protocol stack) is shown. Each of the first plurality of network layers 702A and the second plurality of network layers 702B is a physical (PHY) layer, a media access control (MAC) layer, a radio link control (radio link control) ( RLC) layer, PDCP layer, convergence layer, and application layer. In some embodiments, for example, in the case of a 5G-capable cellular network (ie, NR user plane protocol stack), the service data adaptation protocol (SDAP) layer comprises the source communication device 402 and the target communication device 404 . additionally provided in Each network layer may also be referred to as a protocol layer of the user plane protocol stack.

According to an embodiment, the method for performing multipath communication in the source communication device 402 , the network entity 600 , and the target communication device 404 is potentially implementable in different network layers. Based on the particular network layer (or protocol layer) at which the duplication or partitioning of data occurs at the source communication device 402 (and consequently at the target communication device 404 ), different approaches (or solutions) may be multiplied. It can be used to implement path communication. Different approaches include communication device-based approaches and network-based approaches.

In the communication device-based approach, the source communication device 402 is configured to generate a packet identifier or sequence number (eg, for dedicated or fragment packets). The packet identifier (or sequence number) of each data packet of the plurality of data packets to be provided to the target communication device 404 (eg, in an application layer or in a convergence layer (such as a V2X layer in the case of a vehicle)) appended to the header. Optionally, the packet identifier (or sequence number) of each data packet in the communication layer, the application layer, or the V2X layer (in the case of vehicles) in order to reduce the impact on the existing protocol layers of the user plane protocol stack. introduced in the header.

Typically, a sequence number is assigned to each data packet at the transmitting end in the PDCP layer (ie, the source communication device 402) before each data packet is forwarded to the next layer (ie, the RLC layer). This sequence number is used by the PDCP layer at the receiving end (ie, the target communication device 404) to arrange the data packets in a sequential order. However, at present, transmission of data packets over different paths (eg, cellular communication path 510 and sidelink communication path 516) employing different interfaces (eg, NR Uu interface and NR PC5 interface). there is a problem in The problem is that the target communication device 404 cannot compare (or match) data packets received over the cellular interface (ie, Uu interface) with data packets received from the sidelink interface (ie, PC5 interface). . In such cases, the downlink and uplink sequence numbers of the data packets may be different, or the packets may be placed out of order (ie, incorrectly ordered). Thus, in existing methods and systems, comparison of data packets communicated over the sidelink interface with data packets transmitted over the cellular interface is not feasible. Accordingly, in the present disclosure, packet information (ie, a packet identifier or dedicated sequence number for a split data packet or a duplicate data packet) converges in higher layers (ie, an application layer or (in the case of a vehicle, such as a V2X layer)) layer) is appended (or assigned) to the header of each data packet. This packet information is maintained in the header of each data packet of a plurality of data packets, regardless of the path the data packets traverse (eg, cellular communication path 510 and sidelink communication path 516 ) or at different network nodes. additional control information (eg, an additional packet identifier, or an additional sequence number other than the normal PDCP sequence number). A corresponding layer (eg, an application layer or a convergence layer, etc.) in the target communication device 404 compares and identifies packets based on packet information (eg, additional packet identifier or additional sequence number) within each data packet. used The communication device-based approach does not have any impact on the network.

Optionally, when the duplication mode is selected in the source communication device 402 , the source communication device 402 is configured to generate a duplication identifier (ID) set for the duplicate data packets. The replica ID is stored (i.e. maintained) in the header of each data packet, regardless of the different radio access technologies, communication protocols, or radio links used in the two or more different paths traversed by the data packets. do. The convergence layer or (in the case of V2V communication) V2X layer generates a duplicate ID at the source communication device 402 and performs reordering or filtering of data packets received at the corresponding convergence layer at the target communication device 404 . can be used for Generation of such a duplicate ID allows for unique identification of duplicated data packets at the target communication device 404 regardless of the routes or intermediate protocols and network nodes the data packets follow. Similarly, a packet ID may be established for fragmented data packets remaining in the data packet throughout the communication process for unique identification of the fragmented data packets at the target communication device 404 .

In a network-based approach, the network traverses the end-to-end network to establish packet information (e.g., packets identifier or sequence number). The network entity 600 (eg, a base station) is configured to map the uplink sequence number to a downlink sequence number for each data packet obtained from the source communication device 402 based on the packet information. Optionally, the network-based approach has network implications as it involves signaling to the network to maintain packet information in the header of each data packet throughout the end-to-end network.

8 illustrates an example scenario 800 for execution of multipath communication using different radio access technologies, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. 8 is described in conjunction with elements from FIGS. 1 to 3 , 4A to 4E , 5 , 6 , and 7 . Referring to FIG. 8 , an application layer 802A in a source communication device 402 and a corresponding application layer 802B in a target communication device 404 are shown. Further shown are control circuitry 428 of the source communication device 402 and control circuitry 438 of the target communication device 404 .

According to an embodiment, the control circuitry 428 of the source communication device 402 directs a first set of data packets from the plurality of data packets via a first path and a second set of data packets from the plurality of data packets. to the target communication device 404 via the second path. In this embodiment, the first path uses a first radio access technology (RAT-1), and the second path uses a second radio access technology different from RAT-1 ( RAT-2) is used. In this case, the first path and the second path correspond to different device-to-device communication employing different radio access technologies (eg, NR PC5 interface and LTE PC5 interface as shown).

In the example, when the split mode is selected at the source communication device 402 , the control circuitry 428 controls the application, regardless of the radio access technologies used for data communication (ie, RAT-1 or RAT-2). and set a sequence number (ie, a dedicated sequence number) for each data packet in layer 802A. The RAT may be, for example, LTE, 5G, or the like. The corresponding application layer 802B of the target communication device 404 is used to check the sequence number of each data packet obtained from the source communication device 402 . The control circuitry 438 of the target communication device 404 is configured according to a sequence number associated with each of the plurality of data packets, in the partitioning mode of the corresponding application layer 802B, in the first path and the second path (ie, different and reorder the acquired plurality of data packets (via radio access technologies). Alternatively, instead of the application layer 802A, a convergence layer, a V2X layer, or any other network layer outside the access stratum (AS) may be used to set the sequence number. The same network layer used to set the sequence number is then used at the target communication device 404 to check the sequence number and, accordingly, perform the reordering.

In another example, when the replication mode is selected at the source communication device 402 , the control circuitry 428 is configured to operate regardless of the radio access technologies used for data communication (ie, RAT-1 or RAT-2). , set a sequence number (ie, an additional dedicated sequence number) for each data packet in the application layer 802A. In addition, the duplicate ID is determined in the application layer 802A (or the convergence layer, or the V2x layer in the case of a vehicle) in duplicate data packets (eg, the second set of data packets having the same payload as the first set of data packets). may be potentially assigned to The control circuitry 438 of the target communication device 404 is configured to provide a duplicate ID, even if a plurality of data packets are obtained from the source communication device 402 via different radio access technologies (ie, via the NR PC5 interface and the LTE PC5 interface). based on the duplicate data packets. The control circuitry 438 may, based on the packet information (eg, duplicate ID and dedicated sequence number), at the corresponding application layer 802B (or convergence layer or V2x layer), from a plurality of data packets received at the target communication device. configured to filter duplicate data packets.

9 illustrates an example scenario 900 for execution of multipath communication by duplicating and splitting packets at the PDCP layer, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 9 is described in conjunction with elements from FIGS. 4A-4E , 5 , 6 , 7 , and 8 . Referring to FIG. 9 , SDAP layer 902A, PDCP layer 904B, RLC layer 906A, MAC layer ( 908A) is shown. Similarly, corresponding network layers such as SDAP layer 902B, PDCP layer 904B, RLC layer 906B, and MAC layer 908B associated with the corresponding Uu interface are shown in the target communication device 404 . . In addition to the network layers associated with the Uu interface, the network layers associated with sidelink communication (such as sidelink (SL) RLC 910A and SL MAC 912A) may include a source communication device 402 and a target communication Further shown in device 404 (eg, SL RLC 910B and SL MAC 912B). Further shown are control circuitry 428 of the source communication device 402 and control circuitry 438 of the target communication device 404 .

According to this embodiment, data packet duplication or splitting is described with respect to the PDCP layer 904A instead of higher layers (such as an application layer, a convergence layer, or a V2X layer in the case of a vehicle). However, it should be understood that duplication or splitting of data packets may be implemented in different network layers, such as SDAP layer 902A. In this embodiment, replication is performed at the PDCP layer 904A of the source communication device 402, so that data packets with identical PDCP headers (ie, the same PDCP SN) are routed through the cellular communication path (eg, Uu interface) in replication mode. ) as well as for transmission over the sidelink communication path (eg, PC5 interface). Therefore, the uplink PDCP SN is the same as that of the sidelink PDCP SN. However, the uplink PDCP SN still needs to be identical to that of the downlink PDCP SN for efficient, error-free transmission of data from the source communication device 402 to the target communication device 404 in multipath communication. Typically, in existing systems, the PDCP SN of a given data packet in the uplink transmission may not be the same as the PDCP SN of the same given packet in the downlink transmission. Accordingly, the source RAN node 504 can define the uplink PDCP SN received from the source communication device 402 and the downlink PDCP SN for each data packet of the first set of data packets received at the source RAN node 504 . is configured to map with The mapping of the uplink PDCP SN to the downlink PDCP SN solves the incorrect ordering issues and allows the target communication device 404 to transfer data packets obtained via the cellular communication path 510 via the sidelink communication path 516. This is done to allow comparison (or matching) with the obtained data packets. The mapping between the uplink PDCP SN and the corresponding downlink PDCP SN is the core network of the cellular network 502 and the RAN (such as the source RAN node 504 and the target RAN node 508 ) for comparison of data packets. It will be appreciated that it requires cooperation between entities 506 . The source RAN node 504 is the uplink PDCP SN obtained from the source communication device 402 in a core network protocol-based header (eg, GTP-U header) of each received data packet of the first set of data packets. It is further configured to attach. In an example, the source RAN node 504 appends the uplink PDCP SN in the GTP-U header of data packets transmitted over the N3 interface, for example, for a specific service flow (QFI).

In particular, GTP-U is responsible for carrying data within the GPRS core network, as well as between the RANs (such as the source RAN node 504 and the target RAN node 508 ) and the core network entity 506 . The transmitted data in the form of data packets is in Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) format, Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) format, point-to-point protocol (PPP) format. It may be in several formats, such as format. The source RAN node 504 also communicates to the core network entity 506 each received data packet of the first set of data packets with a GTP-U header including the appended uplink PDCP SN. A GTP-U header with an appended uplink PDCP SN is a modified GTP-U header that contains the appended uplink PDCP SN as an extension in the header structure of the GTP-U header. An example of a GTP-U header is described in FIG. 10 . The uplink PDCP SN is forwarded via the core network entity 506 entities of the first path 406 . In addition, the user plane function (UPF) node maintains the PDCP SN in the GTP-U header transmitted on the N3 interface or the N9 interface. Thus, the GTP-U header is a modified GTP-U header containing at least packet information, eg, the uplink PDCP SN.

10 illustrates an exemplary structure of a GPRS Tunneling Protocol User Plane (GTP-U) header 1000 , in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 10 is described in conjunction with elements from FIGS. 1 to 3 , 4A to 4E , and FIGS. 5 to 9 . Referring to FIG. 10 , an example of a core network protocol-based header, such as a GTP-U header 1000 , is shown.

The GTP-U header 1000 includes various fields according to the 3GPP specification, such as "Message type" reserved for the type of data present in the data packet. For example, the message type may be text, image, audio, or video. The GTP-U header 1000 further includes fields such as the length (i.e., measured in terms of number of bits) of the data packet, "Tunnel endpoint identifier", "Sequence number", etc. can do. In addition, the GTP-U header 1000 further includes a new extended header type field 1002 .

According to an exemplary implementation, the new extended header type field 1002 may be via the N3 interface between a user plane function (UPF) and a RAN node (such as the source RAN node 504 ), or N9 between two UPFs. Used to contain information such as a replication mode or a split mode associated with data packets potentially transmitted over an interface (eg, an intra-Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) interface or an inter-PLMN interface). do. The new extension header type field 1002 is augmented (or extended) to include, for example, an uplink PDCP SN and a Quality of service Flow Identifier (QFI). Optionally, in another implementation, the uplink PDCP SN is a 5G encapsulation header in a 5G cellular network on N3 (and/or N9) interfaces to reduce changes to the header of a data packet across the e2e network. header) is appended.

Activation of the multipath function: For example, in a network-based approach (or solution) there are two options for activation of the multipath function. The first option is activation on session level, and the second option is activation on a per data packet basis. In a first option, a radio access network node (eg, a base station such as a gNB) and a user plane function (UPF) perform specific processing for uplink and downlink data packets by various network nodes and interfaces on the session level. Signaled upon establishment or modification of a protocol data unit (PDU) session to provide The first option is described in detail, for example, in FIG. 11 . In a second option, the multipath function is configured to provide specific processing for uplink and downlink data packets by various network nodes and interfaces on a per data packet basis, to provide specific processing for each of the first set of data packets. Activated based on an indicator in the header of the data packet. Activation of the multipath function based on an indicator in the header of each data packet is described in detail, for example, in FIG. 12 .

11 is a sequence diagram 1100 illustrating a portion of a procedure of protocol data unit (PDU) session establishment, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. 11 is described in conjunction with elements from FIGS. 1 , 2 , 3 , 4A-4E , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , and 10 . 11 , user equipment (UE) 1102 , radio access network (RAN) 1104 , access and mobility management function (AMF) 1106 , user plane function (UPF) 1108 . , a session management function (SMF) 1110 , a policy control function (PCF) 1112 , a unified data management (UDM) 1114 , and a data network 1116 are shown. has been UE 1102 corresponds to source communication device 402 . The RAN 1104 corresponds to the source RAN node 504 (FIG. 5).

Sequence diagram 1100 shows part of the procedure of establishing a PDU session conforming to the 3GPP specification. In an example implementation, some operations in sequence diagram 1100 that involve SMF 1110 signaling RAN 1104 and UPF 1108 are (eg, by control plane signaling) the source communication device 402 . ) is potentially augmented (or extended) to enable multipath functionality in one or more network entities based on an indicator in a signaling message sent by For example, SMF 1110 signaling to RAN 1104 (eg, steps 1124 and 1126 ) and UPF 1108 (eg, step 1134A) is specified from source communication device 402 . The uplink sequence number received at the network layer (eg, PDCP layer) is potentially augmented (ie, extended) to enable the same as the downlink sequence number at the specified network layer. Specifically, what the SMF 1110 signals to the RAN 1104 enables transmission of a sequence number (eg, PDCP SN) received at a specific network layer at N3 in an uplink data packet, and a downlink packet Potentially augmented (or extended) to further enable the use of an uplink SN (eg, a downlink PDCP SN) in a specified network layer for . Also, in sequence diagram 1100 , signaling of SMF 1110 to UPF 1108 is a modified core network protocol-based header (eg, modified GTP-) that includes an uplink sequence number appended to UPF 1108 . U header) is potentially extended to enable forwarding of received data packets including the appropriate QFIs in the downlink PDU session.

In sequence diagram 1100 , the procedure of establishing (or modifying) a PDU session is described from UPF 1108 selection by SMF 1110 at step 1118 . It should be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that there are various steps potentially performed before step 1118. For example, PDU session establishment request (eg, as specified in 3GPP-23.502), SMF selection by AMF, signaling from AMF to SMF (ie in the form of Nsmf_PDUSession_CreateSMContext request), (if not available) Retrieval of session management subscription data by SMF, signaling from SMF to AMF (ie in the form of Nsmf_PDUSession_CreateSMContext response), etc.

In step 1120 , the SMF 1110 initiates modification of the session management policy association between the SMF 1110 and the PCF 1112 . At step 1122A, an N4 session establishment/modification request is communicated from SMF 1110 to UPF 1108 . At step 1122B, an N4 session establishment or modification response is communicated from UPF 1108 to SMF 1110 . At step 1124 , a Namf_communication_N1N2 message transfer is performed from SMF 1110 to AMF 1106 . If N2 session management (SM) information is not included in step 1124 , the following steps 1130 - 1134B and 1136 are potentially omitted. Advantageously, in an exemplary implementation of the present disclosure, the Namf_communication_N1N2 message transmission is augmented and extended to enable transmission of a received sequence number (eg, PDCP SN) at a specific network layer at N3 in an uplink data packet. do. At step 1126 , an N2 PDU session request is communicated from the AMF 1106 to the RAN 1104 . In an exemplary implementation, the N2 PDU session request is also augmented (in downlink transmission) to enable the use of an uplink SN (eg, a downlink PDCP SN) in a specified network layer for a downlink packet and is expanded At step 1128 , the N2 PDU session request is accepted. At step 1130 , an N2 PDU session request acknowledgment is communicated from the RAN 1104 to the AMF 1106 . At step 1132 , a Nsmf_PDUSession_updateSMContext request is communicated from the AMF 1106 to the SMF 1110 . At step 1134A, an N4 session modification request is communicated from SMF 1110 to UPF 1108 . In an example implementation, signaling of SMF 1110 to UPF 1108 is a modified core network protocol-based header (eg, a modified GTP-U header) that includes an uplink sequence number appended to UPF 1108 . potentially augmented and extended to enable forwarding of received data packets containing The N4 session modification request sends received data packets containing a modified core network protocol-based header (eg, a modified GTP-U header) containing an uplink sequence number appended to the UPF 1108 in the downlink PDU session. Used to enable forwarding to appropriate QFIs. At step 1134B, an N4 session modification response is received by SMF 1110 . At step 1136 , an Nsmf_PDUSession_updateSMContext response is communicated from the SMF 1110 to the AMF 1106 . At step 1138 , the Nsmf_PDUSession_SMContext_status_notify service is executed from SMF 1110 to AMF 1106 .

In existing systems and methods, and in existing standards, various issues, eg, different packets for different protocols and different protocol layers and network entities (eg RAN part, core network part, etc.) There are identifiers. In a first example, IPv4 has an identifier (ID) (ie, IP ID) that is enabled for packets fragmentation, but this IP ID is not included in IPv6. In a second example, QoS Flow Identifiers (QFIs) allow granularity in QoS distinction in PDU sessions. Typically, a QoS flow ID (QFI) is used to identify a QoS flow in a 5G (NR) capable device. Typically, user plane traffic with the same QFI within a PDU session receives the same traffic forwarding treatment (eg, scheduling, admission threshold, etc.). The QFI is carried in the encapsulation header on the N3 (and N9) interface, ie, without any changes to the packet header across the e2e network. This QFI is used for all PDU session types. The QFI is unique within a PDU session. The QFI may be dynamically assigned, or may be the same as 5QI (ie 5G QoS characteristics). However, in these existing methods and systems, there is no per-packet processing or handling. In a third example, at present, a PDCP SN is available only in the RAN (eg, RAN 1104 ) from the UE 1102 to the base station in uplink transmission, while another PDCP SN is available from the base station to the user equipment (i.e., the base station). downlink transmission to a wireless communication device). It depends on the packet disorganization, the path the data packets follow, etc. In a fourth example, when the transmission order of data packets is to be preserved, the core network packet identifier (in N3) is, in the user plane, the transmission (T)- transmitted via GTP-U tunnels (GTP-U header). Includes increasing SN for PDUs. This field is an optional field in G-PDUs composed of T-PDUs in the GPRS backbone network as well as the GTP-U header. However, in existing methods and systems, one part of the N3 transmission (ie, RAN to UPF, or UPF to RAN) is focused and there is no direct link/correlation with RAN packet IDs. Also, in existing methods and devices, there is no end-to-end tracking, mapping, or correlation of (R)AN 1104 and core network packets. Accordingly, various steps (eg, steps 1122A - 1128 ) and 1134A of sequence diagram 1100 enable multipath functionality and are associated with existing methods and systems as described above. It is augmented and expanded to address issues.

12 illustrates an example indicator in a header of a data packet, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. 12 is described in conjunction with elements from FIGS. 1 , 2 , 3 , 4A-4E , and FIGS. 5-11 . Referring to FIG. 12 , a PDCP header structure 1200 is shown. The PDCP header structure 1200 includes a plurality of reserved fields 1202, 1204, and 1206, and a plurality of fields, such as fields for the MAC address of the data packet.

According to an embodiment, any one or more of the plurality of reserved fields 1202 , 1204 , and 1206 may be used as an indicator ( eg flags). In an example, the reservation field 1202 signals the network entity 600 (eg, the source RAN node 504 ) to activate the multipath function to enable mapping of the uplink PDCP SN to the downlink PDCP SN. may be set by the originating communication device 402 to a particular bit value (eg, bit value “1”) from a binary bit value (0 or 1) to do so. Accordingly, the source RAN node 504 is configured to map the downlink PDCP SN and the uplink PDCP SN based on the indicator (ie, the bit value of “1” in the reservation field 1202 in this example). In another example, the source communication device 402 adds to set the reservation field 1204 in the PDCP header structure 1200 for the uplink data packet as an indication of selection of a replication mode at the source communication device 402 . is composed of Accordingly, based on this indication, the target communication device 404 is configured to determine that the plurality of data packets obtained from the source communication device 402 via two or more different paths include duplicate data packets. Advantageously, the use of the plurality of reserved fields 1202 , 1204 , and 1206 as indicators allows for uplink and downlink processing instead of pre-flow processing, without the need to modify existing PDCP headers to minimize the cost of implementation. Allows for packet-by-packet processing of data packets.

13 illustrates an example scenario 1300 for performing vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) multipath communication, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. 13 is described in conjunction with elements from FIGS. 1 , 2 , 3 , 4A-4E , and FIGS. 5-12 . Referring to FIG. 13 , an example scenario 1300 is shown that includes an origin vehicle 1302 and a target vehicle 1304 moving on a road portion 1306 . The origin vehicle 1302 includes an electronic control unit (ECU) 1308 , and the target vehicle 1304 includes an ECU 1310 . A source base station 1312 , a target base station 1314 , a cellular communication path 1316 , and a sidelink communication path 1318 are further shown.

According to example scenario 1300 , source vehicle 1302 and target vehicle 1304 correspond to source communication device 402 and target communication device 404 ( FIG. 4A ), respectively. Source base station 1312 and target base station 1314 correspond to source RAN node 504 and target RAN node 508 (FIG. 5), respectively. The originating vehicle 1302 may be within communication range to establish D2D communication with each other. A user of the origin vehicle 1302 may wish to communicate data to the target vehicle 1304 .

According to an embodiment, the ECU 1308 of the originating vehicle 1302 communicates the plurality of data packets to the target vehicle 1304 via the cellular communication path 1316 and the sidelink communication path 1318 in duplicate mode or split mode. configured to select a mode. ECU 1308 of departure vehicle 1302 sidelink communicates a first set of data packets from the plurality of data packets over a cellular communication path 1316 and a second set of data packets from the plurality of data packets. and to the target vehicle 1304 via path 1318 . In other words, a plurality of V2X packets are communicated via different radio access technologies, radio links, interfaces, or communication protocols to improve QoS of communication between two vehicles, to increase reliability of V2V communication. . A header of each data packet includes packet information indicating an association between a plurality of data packets. The first set of data packets traverses through various network entities, such as a source base station 1312 , and a neighboring base station, such as a target base station 1314 . In some cases, the first set of data packets may also traverse via the core network entity.

According to an embodiment, the originating base station 1312 is configured to obtain a first set of data packets from the originating vehicle 1302 . A header of each data packet of the first set of data packets includes packet information. The source base station 1312 downloads, based on the packet information, the uplink sequence number received at the specified network layer (eg, PDCP layer or other network layer) for each data packet of the received first set of data packets. It is configured to map to a link sequence number. The source base station 1312 directs each received data packet of the first set of data packets including packet information to the target vehicle 1304 when the target vehicle is within communication range of the source base station 1312 at the time of communication. is configured to provide When the target vehicle 1304 is outside the communication range of the source base station 1312 , the source base station 1312 sends each received data packet of the first set of data packets including the packet information to the target base station 1314 . It is configured to provide to a neighboring base station such as

According to an embodiment, the ECU 1310 of the target vehicle 1304 receives the first set of data packets received via the cellular communication path 1316 and the sidelink communication path 1318 based on the packet information. and identify a second set of data packets. The packet information in the header of each data packet may contain different radio access technologies, communication protocols used in two or more different paths (ie, in this case, cellular communication path 1316 and sidelink communication path 1318 ). , or radio links, it does not change, so the quality of service (QoS) of data communication between the source vehicle 1302 and the target vehicle 1304 is improved. For example, when a plurality of data packets obtained via two or more different paths include different data packets having different payloads (ie, in a split mode), the data-throughput is increased, and Latency is reduced. In addition, when a plurality of data packets obtained through two or more different paths include duplicate data packets having copies of the same payload, the reliability of data communication between the source vehicle 1302 and the target vehicle 1304 is significantly improved. Advantageously, such V2V multipath communication between the source vehicle 1302 and the target vehicle 1304 can simultaneously provide alerts and (text, image) via two or more different routes between the source vehicle 1302 and the target vehicle 1304 . It is useful in improving road safety by providing an efficient and reliable mechanism for sharing other data (such as , audio, or video).

Modifications to the embodiments of the present disclosure described above are possible without departing from the scope of the present disclosure as defined by the accompanying claims. such as “including,” “comprising,” “incorporating,” “have,” “is,” as used to describe and claim the present disclosure. The expressions are intended to be interpreted in a non-exclusive manner, ie, as allowing items, components, or elements not explicitly described to be presented. References to the singular should also be construed as relating to the plural. The word “exemplary” is used herein to mean “serving as an example, instance, or illustration.” Any embodiment described as “exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments and/or to preclude incorporation of features from other embodiments. The word “optionally” is used herein to mean “provided in some embodiments and not in other embodiments.” It is recognized that certain features of the disclosure, which, for clarity, are described in the context of separate embodiments, may also be provided in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features of an invention that, for brevity, are described in the context of a single embodiment may also be provided separately, or in any suitable combination, or as suitable in any other described embodiment of the disclosure.

Claims (23)

A method (100) for performing multipath communication in a target communication device (404), comprising:
obtaining, from a source communication device (402), a plurality of data packets via at least two different paths, wherein a header of each data packet of the plurality of data packets includes packet information;
the packet information indicates an association between the plurality of data packets;
The packet information in each data packet at the source communication device 402 is the target communication device irrespective of different radio access technologies, communication protocols, or radio links used in the two or more different paths. equal to the packet information in each data packet at 404; and
the plurality of data packets include different data packets having different payloads, or duplicate data packets having copies of the same payload; and
Based on the packet information, a first set of data packets from the plurality of data packets received via a first path 406 and data from the plurality of data packets received via a second path 408 A method (100) comprising identifying a second set of packets. According to claim 1,
and at least one of the first path or the second path corresponds to device-to-device communication between the source communication device (402) and the target communication device (404). 3. The method of claim 1 or 2,
The first path 406 of the two or more different paths is a cellular communication path 510 , and the second path 408 of the two or more different paths is a sidelink corresponding to the device-to-device communication. (sidelink) communication path (516), wherein the source communication device (402) and the target communication device (404) are at least one of: a vehicle, an electronic device used in a vehicle, or a portable electronic device. 4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The method (100) further comprising: filtering, by the target communication device (404), duplicate data packets from the plurality of data packets received at the target communication device (404) based on the packet information. 5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
reordering, by the target communication device (404), the plurality of data packets by a sequence number associated with each of the plurality of data packets, based on the packet information, wherein the plurality of data packets are in a split mode. including different data packets obtained via the first path (406) and the second path (408). A method (200) for performing multipath communication in an originating communication device (402), the method comprising:
A first set of data packets from the plurality of data packets is routed via a first path 406 and a second set of data packets from the plurality of data packets is routed via a second path 408 to a target communication device 404 . ), wherein the header of each data packet includes packet information indicative of an association between the plurality of data packets, and
The method ( 200 ), wherein the plurality of data packets includes different data packets having different payloads, or duplicate data packets having copies of the same payload. 7. The method of claim 6,
At least one of the first path 406 or the second path 408 corresponds to device-to-device communication between the source communication device 402 and the target communication device 404 , the source communication device The packet information in each data packet at 402 is transmitted at the target communication device 404 regardless of the different radio access technologies, communication protocols, or radio links used in the two or more different paths. equal to the packet information in each data packet of the method 200 . 8. The method according to claim 6 or 7,
selecting, by the source communication device (402) a duplication mode or a segmentation mode, for communicating the plurality of data packets to the target communication device (404) via two or more different paths - the duplication mode or the segmentation said selection of a mode occurs prior to or during a data session. 9. The method of claim 8,
sending, by the originating communication device 402 , the first set of data packets in an uplink transmission 512 to the network entity 600 via the first path 406 and the second set of data packets communicating to the target communication device (404) over the second path (408) as duplicate data packets based on the selection of the duplicate mode, wherein at least the payload of the first set of data packets is the duplicate mode equal to the payload of the second set of data packets in 9. The method of claim 8,
sending, by the originating communication device 402 , the first set of data packets in an uplink transmission 512 to the network entity 600 via the first path 406 and the second set of data packets communicating via the second path (408) to the target communication device (404), wherein at least the payload of the first set of data packets is different from the payload of the second set of data packets in the split mode - Method (200) further comprising 11. The method according to any one of claims 6 to 10,
The header of each data packet of the plurality of data packets, or transmitted by the source communication device 402 to at least one of the network entity 600 or the target communication device 404 upon establishment or update of the data session The signaling message includes an indicator,
The method (200), wherein the indicator indicates the viability of a multipath function in the network entity (600) or the target communication device (404). A method (300) for performing multipath communication in a network entity (600), the method comprising:
obtaining a first set of data packets from a source communication device (402), wherein a header of each data packet of the first set of data packets includes packet information, the packet information including the first set of data packets indicates the association between -;
mapping an uplink sequence number to a downlink sequence number for each data packet of the first set of data packets based on the packet information; and
Based on the mapped uplink sequence number to the downlink sequence number, each received data packet of the first set of data packets including the packet information is forwarded to a target communication device 404 or a further network entity. A method (300) comprising providing at least one of: 13. The method of claim 12,
The uplink sequence number is received from the source communication device 402 in a specified network layer, the uplink sequence number is mapped to the downlink sequence number in the specified network layer, and the specified network layer is a packet at least one of a data convergence protocol layer, a service data adaptation protocol layer, or another network layer. 14. The method of claim 12 or 13,
appending, by the network entity (600), the uplink sequence number received from the source communication device (402) in a core network protocol-based header of each received data packet of the first set of data packets; ; and
by the network entity 600 to the core network entity 506 each received data packet of the first set of data packets having the core network protocol-based header including the appended uplink sequence number. communicating, wherein the core network protocol-based header including the appended uplink sequence number includes the appended uplink sequence number as an extension in a header structure of the core network protocol-based header. is a protocol-based header, the method (300) further comprising: 15. The method of claim 14,
The method (300), wherein the core network protocol-based header is a generic packet radio service tunneling protocol user plane header (1000). 16. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 15,
Prior to downlink transmission 514 of the received data packets of the first set of data packets to the target communication device 404 by the network entity 600 , the retrieved uplink sequence number is retrieved from the plurality of The method (300), further comprising the step of setting as a downlink sequence number within each received data packet of the data packet. 17. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 16,
Multipath based on an indicator in the header of each data packet of the first set of data packets, by the network entity 600 , or in a signaling message sent by the originating communication device 402 . further comprising enabling a function, wherein the feasibility of the multipath function is:
- storing the packet information in each data packet of the first set of data packets received at the network entity 600 and further providing each received packet to the target communication device 404 reuse of information; or
- further providing each data packet of the first set of data packets having the packet information, each received packet to the target communication device 404 via the network entity 600 or another network entity and routing the packet information to a further network entity that reuses the packet information to do so. A target communication device (404) for performing multipath communication, comprising:
control circuitry (438), said control circuitry (438) comprising:
obtain, from the source communication device 402 , a plurality of data packets via two or more different paths, wherein a header of each data packet of the plurality of data packets includes packet information;
the packet information indicates an association between the plurality of data packets;
The packet information in each data packet at the source communication device 402 is the target communication device irrespective of different radio access technologies, communication protocols, or radio links used in the two or more different paths. equal to the packet information in each data packet at 404; and
the plurality of data packets include different data packets having different payloads, or duplicate data packets having copies of the same payload; and
Based on the packet information, a first set of data packets from the plurality of data packets received via a first path 406 and data from the plurality of data packets received via a second path 408 A target communication device (404) configured to identify a second set of packets. An origin communication device (402) for performing multipath communication, comprising:
control circuitry (428), said control circuitry (438) comprising:
A first set of data packets from the plurality of data packets is routed via a first path 406 and a second set of data packets from the plurality of data packets is routed via a second path 408 to a target communication device 404 . ), wherein the header of each data packet includes packet information indicating an association between the plurality of data packets, and
wherein the plurality of data packets comprises different data packets having different payloads, or duplicate data packets having copies of the same payload. A network entity (600) for performing multipath communication, comprising:
Entity control circuitry (602), the entity control circuitry (602) comprising:
obtain a first set of data packets from a source communication device (402), wherein a header of each data packet of the first set of data packets includes packet information, wherein the packet information is between the first set of data packets indicates the association of -;
map an uplink sequence number to a downlink sequence number for each data packet of the first set of data packets based on the packet information; and
Based on the mapped uplink sequence number to the downlink sequence number, each received data packet of the first set of data packets including the packet information is forwarded to a target communication device 404 or a further network entity. A network entity (600) configured to provide at least one of: A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon computer-readable instructions, comprising:
The computer-readable instructions are executable by a computerized device comprising processing hardware for carrying out a method as claimed in any preceding claim. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon computer-readable instructions, comprising:
12. A computer program product, wherein the computer-readable instructions are executable by a computerized device comprising processing hardware for carrying out a method as claimed in any one of claims 6 to 11. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon computer-readable instructions, comprising:
The computer-readable instructions are executable by a computerized device comprising processing hardware for carrying out a method as claimed in any of claims 12-17.

Images